Control With Delay: Why Brains Predict
A live demonstration of feedback, instability, internal models, and anticipatory control.
▶ Run
↺ Reset
⛶ Full screen
1
Instant feedback
Negative feedback stabilizes the ship.
2
Add delay
Correction begins to overshoot.
3
More delay
The same controller becomes dangerous.
4
Add state prediction
An internal model estimates where the ship is now.
5
Anticipate the current
Act before the error occurs.
Supertanker in a narrow channel
Stable
Stability trace
actual
delayed sensory state
model estimate
Phase plot
position × velocity
Yellow
actual now
Gray
sensed past
Cyan
estimated now
↕
Blue
external current
↕
Orange
corrective action
Watch:
current → correction → motion; delay separates gray from yellow.